title: Low oxygen tolerance of different life stages of temperate freshwater fish species.
abstract: Data on low dissolved oxygen (DO₂) tolerance of freshwater fish species of north-western Europe were used to create species sensitivity distributions (SSD). Lowest observed effect concentrations (LOEC) and 100% lethal concentrations (LC₁₀₀) data were collected from the scientific literature. Comparisons were made among life stages as well as between native and exotic species. In addition, lethal DO₂ concentrations were compared to oxygen concentrations corresponding to maximum tolerable water temperatures of the same species. Fish eggs and embryos were the least tolerant. Juveniles had a significantly lower mean LOEC than adults, but there was no difference in mean LC₁₀₀ between the two groups. The difference in lethal oxygen concentrations between adults and juveniles was largest for three salmonids, although it remains uncertain if this was a result of smoltification. There were no significant differences between native and exotic species; however, data on exotics are limited. DO₂ concentrations converted from maximum tolerable water temperatures were 3·9 times higher than the measured lethal DO₂ concentrations, which may reflect changes in respiration rates (Q₁₀) and may also relate to the simplicity of the model used.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Environmental Science, P. O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P M F
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Elshout
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dionisio Pires
authors.forename: R S E W
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Leuven
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Wendelaar Bonga
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hendriks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005060:Europe; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D005618:Fresh Water; D000860:Hypoxia; D058865:Introduced Species; D008018:Life Cycle Stages
keywords: climate change; exotic species; hypoxia tolerance; species sensitivity distributions; water temperature